


Traditions

by RogueCompanion



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben wants it to be perfect, Bucket List, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Devoted Ben Solo, Did I Mention Fluff, F/M, Hallmark Channel romance, Holidays, Rey's first Christmas, Thanksgiving, a little bit of smut too, holiday tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-01 17:51:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17248733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueCompanion/pseuds/RogueCompanion
Summary: “I told you about my childhood, Ben. Not a whole lot of happy homes to celebrate Christmas in, which meant no presents, no Christmas trees, no Christmas movies, nothing. If we were lucky we might have received a little bit better food than usual, but that was rare. Once I was out of the system, I didn’t have anyone to celebrate with and it didn’t make much sense to do anything alone,” she didn’t seem upset while saying any of this, just very matter of fact.“You’re not alone. Not anymore. But I guess I didn’t consider that."Summary: Ben is surprised when he finds out how little Rey knows about Christmas, and so, sets out to give her the best first Christmas experience she's ever had. This holiday season, they'll both discover that the best memories happen when you least expect them.





	1. Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amanda2119](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amanda2119/gifts).



> For Amanda2119 : I hope you enjoy this holiday treat!
> 
> A special thanks to my beta [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite) who also created this gorgeous mood board at the beginning of the chapter. Thanks so much, sugar!

[](https://imgur.com/xjZvaEv)

“So, I’m sitting all alone at the reception desk, now mind you, it’s only my second week on the job so I still don’t know everyone. And this massive guy walks right up to me and says the most absurd statement in the surliest voice I’ve ever heard.” 

Rey glances briefly at Ben, a smile on her face, and he takes over the story for her, “I couldn’t help it! I was so nervous talking to this beautiful girl, and could barely push the words out. It was meant to be a joke, but clearly didn’t come out that way. I could see the panic in her eyes, she had no idea what to do.”

“I thought for sure I was going to lose my job! This was my boss’s son! I’d seen his picture on her desk, if I screwed this up I’d be out. I just knew it! So, I just started stuttering, trying to string together some response that might actually make sense and failing miserably. I’m sure I looked like a bloody idiot while I did it!” Rey continued, amusement showing in her voice as the others around the dining room table began to laugh. 

“I was afraid I’d wind up being known as the asshole who made the new girl cry, so I quickly tried to explain myself and I just watched the anxiety drain from her body and she just stared at me, dumbfounded. And then she started laughing.” Ben stopped to take a sip of his wine while his family wiped at their eyes around him, all of them clearly enjoying his embarrassment. 

When it was clear the story was over, his Uncle Lando cut in, “and then you guys started dating?”

Rey snorted and started laughing, “Not even close! That was in April. It took this lovable idiot six whole months to work up the nerve to ask me out. Even with our frequent lunches and work sanctioned happy hours together.” Laughter erupted all over again as Ben’s complexion darkened to a nice bright pink color. She glanced at him again, clear affection in her eyes. “He’s come to my desk every day since then with a new stupid joke to make me laugh.”

A few ‘Aws’ sounded around the room. “What’s the best joke he’s told you so far?” Ben’s mother, and their boss, asked from the end of the table. 

Rey smiled and glanced around the table, “Why don’t blind people go skydiving?” She paused, giving the others an opportunity to answer and then plowed ahead, “because it scares the crap out of their dogs!” Groans followed the punchline, as expected. 

“Well, I think I need to change my response to what I’m thankful for this year. I’m thankful that my son’s crappy jokes haven’t run you off yet, Rey.” Leia stood and began clearing the table as she said this. “The last thing I need is to lose my favorite receptionist!” 

Rey rose from her chair to help with the clean up, but was pushed from the room as Leia demanded Ben help her instead, mumbling something about ungrateful kids. Rey departed into the living room with the rest of the menfolk, sitting on the couch as Ben’s father flipped through the TV channels, everyone too full of a great meal and tired to really interact at all. Apparently, all of the decent football games were over, so some Christmas special was playing as they zoned out and digested. 

About 45 minutes later, Ben sat down beside her and put his arm over her shoulder, prompting her to snuggle into his side as she continued to be pulled into the story. Every once in awhile he’d kiss her face or quietly speak to her, getting only grunts and one word replies as she was intent on the story unfolding before her. Seeing her distraction, he decided to play with her and began mumbling out a long rambling story. Shortly after he began this, her hand reached up and clamped down on his mouth. 

“You are wonderful, and I love to hear you speak, but please, kindly do shut up. I want to see what happens next,” Rey barely glanced his way as she said this, clearly annoyed. He looked from her to the TV and back again, an incredulous look on his face.

“Wait, you mean, you’ve never seen A Christmas Carol?” He was torn between shocked and confused.

Huffing, Rey turned back to him, obviously she wouldn’t be seeing the end of this movie. “I told you about my childhood, Ben. Not a whole lot of happy homes to celebrate Christmas in, which meant no presents, no Christmas trees, no Christmas movies, nothing. If we were lucky we might have received a little bit better food than usual, but that was rare. Once I was out of the system, I didn’t have anyone to celebrate with and it didn’t make much sense to do anything alone,” she didn’t seem upset while saying any of this, just very matter of fact.

“You’re not alone. Not anymore. But I guess I didn’t consider that,” he stated, cuddling her closer, “I mean, I know you’ve mentioned how awful some of those homes were, I just assumed that people would do better for the holiday, even if they returned to being terrible the next day.” He looked at her apologetically and kissed her forehead.

She smiled sweetly at him, “It’s ok. You didn’t know, and your experience with people has been that, at least at this time of year they try to be kinder. I’ve just had a different experience than you. But life is much better now. And it’s thanks to you and your family.” She kissed his cheek and then turned back to the movie.

Ben sat quietly next to her for a while, lost in thought. He turned to Rey as Ebenezer Scrooge was lamenting his desire to live and make his wrong doings right to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. “Hey, give me your phone really quick.”

Rey handed him her phone, “What’s wrong with yours?” she asked curiously.

“Nothing, I just need your pinterest app. I have an idea,” he said excitedly while scanning through the app. “Hmm, nope, that’s for kids, not this one either, it’s just too long, ah, here we go! Perfect.” He turned the phone back to her so she could see what he’d found. A bright red page with white snowflakes greeted her vision, written on the top was, “25 Days of Christmas”, and what followed was a list of what looked like winter activities. 

“Very nice, love, and why am I looking at this?” She smiled at him endearingly.

His grin grew larger as he looked at her. “It’s a Christmas Bucket List! We’re going to do everything on this list and give you the best first Christmas anyone has ever had!” His excitement was palpable, and had begun to rouse the attention of the others around them who listened to their conversation, but did not comment.

Her smile grew. “That’s so sweet! But you really don’t have to go through all the trouble, I’m just happy to spend the season with you!” He snuggled her close, setting the phone aside.

“Well, this ensures both. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of it all.” His grin refused to leave his face, this idea excited him greatly and he couldn’t wait to get planning. Rey smiled up at him and patted his thigh, before turning back to the movie, her eyes taking in each smiling face turned towards them as they made their journey back to the TV. The entire household was content as the final words of the film rang out.

“God Bless us, everyone.”


	2. If You Just Hold Me Tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made, and snuggles occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to my lovely beta [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite)! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

[](https://imgur.com/xhLVpfy)

The first thing that Rey did upon returning to work the Monday after Thanksgiving was go through her schedule to see where she could fit in decorating the office and meeting with Leia to plan the office Christmas party. There was no time be wasted, and so much to do. The whole last week of November wound up being very busy, and she hardly saw Ben at all.

On Friday afternoon, Ben approached her desk with his agenda in hand. “Hey, sunshine, do you have a minute to look at these plans?” She assumed it was something for the holiday party or meetings he wanted to schedule the conference room for. However, when she looked at the calendar placed before her, she struggled making heads or tails out of what she was looking at.

“Movie night, baking, crafts, ice skating. These are some strange titles for meetings you’ve got here.” She gave him a goofy look, clearly messing with him.

“Right, no, that’s because they’re dates for us. Not meetings,” he explained, missing her sarcasm in his continued excitement for her first celebration of Christmas. “Much as I would love it, I’m assuming you don’t want to spend every waking minute of your free time with me. So I put together a schedule, and figured we could see what works. Now, it’s been uncommonly warm this winter, so some of these we might not be able to do. Can’t build a snowman or go sledding if we don’t have any snow. Unless, you’d be willing to take a weekend away up into the mountains. Lots of snow there,” he continued to storm full speed ahead, setting the tone for the entirety of the upcoming month.

“Ben, love, slow down. Let’s just take it one week at a time. What’s on the schedule for this weekend?” She patted his hand, hoping she had his attention.

Ben took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Ok, well, tomorrow is the first, so maybe it’s a good idea to spend the weekend snuggled up watching Christmas movies, that way we can catch you up on all the tropes and references. Then, early next week we’ll go on a date to that outdoor ice skating rink by the mall. Friday night is the Mayor’s tree lighting in City Park, and maybe we can decorate my apartment next weekend? Does all of that sound ok?” He hoped he wasn’t overwhelming her.

“That sounds wonderful.” She glanced up at him, and was entranced by the way his face lit up. They stared into each other's eyes, slowly inching closer, just as their lips were about to meet, Leia’s loud voice interrupted them.

“Solo! What are you doing distracting my receptionist?” Leia had just entered the main doors, making her way into the office after a lunch meeting. Glancing over at the calendar on Rey’s desk she hmm’d curiously, “What strange meeting titles you have listed there Mr. Solo…” Ben rolled his eyes and scoffed at her words, knowing that she knew full well all about his plans for the month of December.

“I’m so sorry Mrs Solo. It won’t happen again.” Rey’s face had paled. She could only imagine what would have happened had it been anyone else coming through the door. Leia liked her, and of course knew of her relationship with her son, but that didn’t mean it would be tolerated on the clock. She always strove to keep things professional at work.

“Oh, calm down Ms. Niima, you know I’m only messing with you two!” Leia winked and waved off Rey’s concern. Her countenance hardened quickly as she turned towards Ben and barked out, “Solo, my office, 10 minutes,” and then wandered off down the hall, once again throwing a wink at Rey on her way.

Rey heaved a breath and visibly relaxed in relief while Ben gently grasped her shoulder to reassure her. “You need to relax, sweetheart,” Ben said in a soft reassuring voice. “My mother adores you, you are practically family already. You aren’t going anywhere, either here, or at home.” He placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head then turned to gather his agenda back up. “I’ll meet you at my place at about six. Bring comfy clothes, we’re in for a long weekend of vegging.” With a wide smile he turned and made his way back towards his mother’s office. 

Rey watched him go, confident that the added swagger in his hips was for her viewing pleasure. Several moments after he disappeared around the corner, she snapped back to herself and returned her attention to her computer, five o’clock could not come fast enough!

~~~

That evening, Rey went home and packed a small bag for the weekend. The plan was to spend the entire weekend cuddled up on Ben’s sofa, eating junk and getting educated in Christmas traditions through the medium of cheesy Christmas movie classics. Ben had a very long list for them to get through in just two short days. He’d narrowed it down as much as he was willing, which meant losing some truly classic movies, ie. all of the stop motion classics like Rudolph and Frosty. However, in the end, he did not feel as if these were imperative to the learning process.

At six o’clock on the dot, Rey approached the front door of Ben’s apartment, which was immediately opened. She was greeted with a lingering closed mouth kiss and a glass of wine from a sweatpants clad Ben. He ushered her inside and directed her to switch into her comfy clothes while he plates up dinner for them both. Rey kissed him briefly once more as she moved past him and into the master bedroom.

When she exited the bedroom in her Harry Potter pajamas, Ben had set up two TV Trays with their dinners on it, right in front of the couch covered in pillows and blankets. Miracle on 34th St was queued up on the TV, and all that was missing was her.

Rey settled onto the couch, and together they dug into their plates of spaghetti while the tale of a young girl and her mother learning to set aside their cynicism to believe and have faith in something that can’t necessarily be proven played on the screen. Rey discreetly wiped the happy tears from her eyes, hoping Ben wouldn’t notice or say anything. 

Ben moves to clear their dinner plates, “what did you think?” 

“It was really sweet,” Rey responded as she adjusted her position on the couch. “I loved the message here and this idea that believing in something ridiculous almost created an innocence in all people that most people lose as they age. Does that make sense?” 

“Perfect sense,” Ben’s voice sounded from where he stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing their dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. “You ready for the next one then?”

Rey smiles and nodded in response to his question. “Should we fix some popcorn or ice cream or something first?” At this request, Ben stares at her in something akin to awe. It always surprised him how much food she could pack away, but he could never deny her anything, especially when it came to food. 

“Sure thing, babe.” Ben responded, turning to the pantry to grab the popcorn, “why don’t you go ahead and throw in the DVD for, It’s a Wonderful Life, while I pop the corn and grab us some sodas?”

Rey moves from her spot on the couch to do just that, finishing her task just as Ben walked in from the kitchen with their snacks. They cuddled up on the couch and fell into silence as the movie played before them. 

Both fell asleep before the movie was over, staying curled on the couch, wrapped up in each other’s arms all night.

The rest of the weekend continued in much the same way, taking breaks between movies to discuss and move around a bit. Many naps occurred during their marathon, so several times they had to backtrack to finish the movies in their entirety. Sunday Evening, shortly after finishing off Home Alone 2, Rey gave Ben a lingering kiss before bidding him good night and heading back to her place to get ready for work the next day. It was getting harder and harder to leave him at the end of their dates, but she took comfort knowing she’d see him the following morning at work.


	3. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey enjoy a festive date, things heat up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are enjoying this fic! Here's where we earn that M rating. This is actually my first attempt at writing smut, so I hope that it's not terrible. This gorgeous mood board was created by my amazing Beta, the fixer of my many mistakes, the talented [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite)!

[](https://imgur.com/N03HQL7)

On Tuesday, Ben had planned the perfect winter date for them. There was a new outdoor mall in town with tons of hip restaurants wrapped around the center square, which had been converted into an outdoor ice skating rink for the holiday season. He had made reservations at one of the nicer Italian restaurants along that strip, and planned on taking her skating afterward. 

Shortly before six, they pushed themselves through the crowded lobby of the restaurant towards the hostess stand. “Hey there, I have a reservation for two at 6 PM,” he said, his volume high to be heard over the din and smiling politely at the young woman behind the stand.

“What’s the name?” The girl asked equally as loud, looking just a bit frazzled.

“Solo.”

She took a look down at the book in front of her then glanced back up, a look of concern etched on her face. “Any other name it could be under?” this time her voice was just a bit quieter.

Ben glanced over the edge of her stand at the book, sensing that no matter what he said his name wouldn’t be on there. “It could be under Ben, I suppose.”

He watched as she nervously scanned the page in front of her, taking a deep breath in he prepared to hear the bad news. “I’m sorry sir, your name isn’t on here.”

He sighed, “I made this reservation a week ago. How is it not there?”

“Do you happen to remember who you spoke to when you called in?” 

“I think she said her name was Anna or April or something like that,” he tried to think back to making the reservation.

“Oh dear, another victim,” the girl said with sympathy in her tone.

Ben’s face was shocked, “victim?”

“We fired one of the other hostesses over the weekend. It was discovered that she was answering the phones without actually putting any reservations on the books. You can imagine what the weekend rush looked like, I’m sure. It was a nightmare.” She looked both sad for him and annoyed at the fallout she’s had to deal with. “If you’d like to wait by the bar, we’ll try to get you seated as soon as we can. The bartender will provide you with some complimentary drinks for the inconvenience.”

He agreed, and together Ben and Rey pushed their way through the throngs of bodies around them towards the bar. They each ordered a drink and stood to wait for their table. 

As upsetting as it was to have to wait after taking the time to make a reservation, he couldn’t be too upset. After all, the large amount of people meant that Rey was pushed right up against him, giving him an excuse to hold her close like this in public, and the noise created by so many voices speaking at once meant that any conversation between to the two of them was best spoken gently into each others ears rather than yelled out over the cacophony. It was all a bit romantic, if you asked him. And Rey didn’t seem too upset either.

They were finally seated about 45 minutes later, their drinks immediately refreshed and informed of the specials before the waiter excused himself to give them a moment to look at the menu. The dining room was much quieter than the lobby had been and they both relaxed into their seats.

They enjoyed a wonderful meal, neither one letting the rough start of their evening affect their mood. Time moved strangely when they were together, like it stood still and sped up all at the same time. Before long, they were paying the check and suiting up to go back into the cool evening for the next part of their date.

They crossed the street to the outdoor ice skating rink, which when they arrived earlier in the evening had been teaming with children, was now mostly empty. Just a small group of teenagers and an older couple occupied the ice now.

They rented their skates and made their way towards the ice. Rey was enamored by the twinkling fairy lights strung up all around, and the Christmas trees at each corner of the rink. It truly looked like something out of a winter wonderland.

“Have you ever done this before?” Rey asked, a barely noticeable tremor in her voice. 

“Not since I was a child, but it’s pretty easy, if I remember correctly.” He patted her arm reassuringly as they finally entered the ice.

As soon as he had both feet on the ice he found his whole body falling towards the cold ground, landing hard on his ass. Rey stepped on after him, holding onto the edge of the rink and laughing at him as she did. He glared over at her, and moved to get up. 

“Are you ok, love?” Rey asked sweetly, holding her hand out to him. 

“Just some broken pride, I’m sure it’ll heal.” He grasped her hand and together they began to slowly shuffle forward on their skates, Rey still holding onto the edge as they went. The first lap was slow and full of stumbles, but neither of them fell again. After that they began to feel a little more confident. Their strides became more fluid, and about halfway through the second lap, Rey let go of the wall. 

Now both standing on their own, they were slightly unbalanced again, but continued to take things slow and smooth. At one point Rey’s toe got caught in a particularly deep divot from a previous skater and she stumbled, then over corrected and wound up collapsing to the ground, hitting her hip on the ice. Ben rushed to her side, concerned, but saw her laughing instead of hurt. She was laughing so hard she couldn’t get back up, so Ben reached out to help her. However, in bending down to reach her, he lost his balance and instead fell on top of her. 

At this point they were a tangle of limbs trying to figure out how to get up through both of their laughter. Finally figuring it out, they managed to get back up and keep going. Both falling several times more before they decided to call it quits, but having a great time.

By 9:30 they were both sore and freezing and decided it would be a good idea to head home. Ben decided to bring her back to his place instead of dropping her off at home. 

As soon as he walked in the door, he made his way to the master suite and started the bathtub, throwing in some lavender scented Epsom salts before he went to the kitchen to pour them both some sweet red wine. He handed Rey a glass before ushering her into the bathroom, where he helped her undress and lower into the warm bath before doing the same for himself.

Together they relaxed into the water, cuddled up with her against his chest.

“I hope you don’t mind this,” he said, stroking his fingers up and down her arm where it rested along the edge of the tub, still holding her wine glass. “I figured we could both use this to help chase off that chill from the ice, also, all of the bumps and bruises.”

She leaned her head back to glance up at him. “No love, you are a genius. This evening has been absolutely perfect, and this is a fantastic way to end it.” She strained her head back further, placing a kiss under his jaw, the closest to his mouth she could reach from her current angle.

“I know things didn’t exactly go as planned. It wasn’t really the perfect Hallmark romantic date I had figured it would be in my head.” He looked a bit self-deprecating as he said this. 

“No, darling, this was better.” She sat forward, moving her glass somewhere more stable along the tubs edge before turning to face him in the tub. It took some wiggling and adjusting, but before long she sat astride his thighs, facing him. “Sure, there were a few slips, both figurative and literal,” she reached out to rub her hip where it had hit the ice earlier, “but it was perfect. As a matter of fact, I feel like I owe you a thank you for such a wonderful evening.” Her smile was sly as she slowly moved forward and gently placed her lips against his.

He smiled through the kiss, “A thank you, you say? Well it’s not necessary, but who am I to stop you?” He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her solidly against his chest as he deepened the kiss. 

Rey’s left hand moved to the back of his head, running her fingers through the hair there while her right found purchase on his chest, holding her steady as she slid her body against his, feeling the heat of his erection against her lower stomach. She hummed her approval into his mouth as their kiss continued.

“Should we take this to the bed? Or do you want to continue right here?” He asked her as he laid a line of kisses down her neck towards her breasts. She gasped as he took a nipple into his mouth, gently biting down before licking away the slight sting of pain. He moved to lavish the other nipple with equal attention as she attempted to pant out a response.

“No, here is, ugh, good. Yup, soooo good, right here,” she groaned out as her hips involuntarily thrust forward against him, causing him to release a groan of his own. She used the hand at the back of his head to grasp his hair and pull, forcing his head to move back away from her chest so that she could return to kissing him passionately.

He was happy to follow wherever she directed him. His hands roamed up and down her body, thumbs catching on her breasts as they made their way up to grasp her face gently. He was so lost in their kiss that he failed to notice the hand on his chest moving downwards, until it gently brushed and then grasped his erection, eliciting a moan from deep within his chest. 

Rey leaned forward, pulling up on her knees and adjusting herself before slowly sinking down onto his cock. Both of their heads fell back with a groan as she sheathed him completely within herself, taking a second to adjust to the sensation of being connected this way. And then suddenly, in a flurry of movement, they were back to kissing passionately as Rey began to ride him, heedless of the water sloshing over the edge of the tub and soaking the bathroom floor. 

Their coupling was fast and fierce, his fingers tightly grasping her hips to aid her hard downwards thrusts as his own hips moved upward to meet her, teeth and tongues gnashing in heated attempts at kisses that were impeded upon by the speed of their thrusts. 

Ben could feel Rey’s near frantic chase as she neared her orgasm, so reached one hand out and gave her ass a firm slap. The sting of that connection was exactly what she’d needed and she bolted up, screaming his name, finally hitting that peak. The squeeze of her inner muscles on his cock threw Ben into his own release with a shout. Rey fell forward onto his chest, panting for breath, as Ben gripped her tightly, feeling the last bit of his spend fill her up. They both laid there for a long moment, catching their breaths. 

From her position with her head tucked under Ben’s chin, Rey could see the rest of the bathroom. She began to giggle as she looked out to the mess they’d made. “There’s more water on the floor now than in the tub. Whoops!”

Ben held her tighter and smiled. “Worth it. You’re incredible, my love.”

Rey pulled back from him and smiled, “you are definitely more incredible. I love you so much.”

“And I love you,” he leaned forward and kissed her nose before helping her to stand and step gently from the tub, making sure she didn’t slip on the watery mess they’d made. “Why don’t you go find something to wear to bed while I clean this up?” He stood as well and extricated himself from the tub, wrapping a towel tightly around her shoulders and another around his hips before turning her towards the bedroom and patting her butt. 

He watched Rey exit the bathroom before turning to drain what little water was left in the tub and sopping up the mess on the floor, then dropping the waterlogged towels into the tub to be dealt with tomorrow. For now, he had a gorgeous woman to cuddle waiting in his bed.

Rey set her alarm for earlier than usual, knowing that she’d have to return home before work to get ready. She was just setting her phone down as Ben climbed into bed wearing a pair of loose fitting sleep pants, the perfect contrast to herself in one of his much too large t-shirts. She laid down next to him as he clicked off the lamp next to the bed before his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly to his chest. 

“I could get used to this,” he whispered to her in the dark, “having you in my bed.”

She nuzzled her face into his chest, taking a deep breath of his scent in. “You and me both,” she sighed out before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Oh Christmas Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some holiday fluff, and time spent with family.

[](https://imgur.com/wFQ3o8v)

Friday, after work, they made their way to City Park; Ben’s parents had decided to tag along as well, so they all went down together. There were vendors surrounding the outside of the park, selling different types of food or drinks from trucks. The whole square was full of people. Ben took Han to purchase some warm drinks for everyone while Leia and Rey pushed their way closer to the giant tree with the small platform next to it, hoping to find a prime viewing spot for the lighting. 

Ben and Han located them shortly before the mayor took the stage. Ben handed Rey a hot chocolate before wrapping her up in his arms and kissing the side of her head. Han and Leia shared a look next to them. A hush began to fall amongst the gathered crowd as a group of people approached the stage, the bright area lights illuminating it.

The mayor approached the microphone, welcoming everyone and introducing the local children's choir who performed a couple classic Christmas carols, the crowd joining in to sing with them. After the children sang, the Mayor came back to the microphone to talk about the incredible year the city has had and thank certain groups or key people in the community; everyone clapped and cheered accordingly. Finally, it was time to light the tree. The mayor asked the children to return to the stage to sing Silent Night, and the large area lights were dimmed. 

Rey watched in absolute wonder as the mayor plugged the tree in and the lights sprung to life from the bottom up, almost chasing each other to the star at the tree’s pinnacle. All the while, the angelic voices of the children sang out into the silent crowd. It was stunning, and Ben watched Rey’s face the whole time, gently reaching up to wipe a tear away that she hadn’t even realized had fallen.

As the whole tree was lit up and the song came to an end, the crowded square erupted into cheers. Slowly, the crowd began to clear and the couple sat chatting with Ben’s parents about their plans now that the lighting ceremony was over. Ben decided it was still pretty early and they should go find a Christmas tree, asking his father if he’d help them find the perfect one, as he himself had little experience doing so.

They all made their way back to Ben’s car and piled in, then drove around, searching for a decent looking Christmas tree lot. They found one not too far from Ben’s apartment, everyone stumbling out of the car to begin to wander. Ben followed his father around the lot, listening to all the little random tree facts he had to share, things about needle retention and scent. Ben only truly cared about the thing lasting all the way to Christmas. Rey wandered around the lot, simply taking in the site of all the beautiful trees around her.

“Isn’t that scent wonderful?” Leia asked Rey, seeing her pause in an aisle and take a deep breath.

“It truly is,” Rey said, glancing at her with a smile. “I’ve never smelled or seen anything like this. Growing up in the desert, there wasn’t a whole lot of green, and what plant life we did have didn’t smell this amazing.”

Leia placed her hand on Rey’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Then you would love our mountain cabin! It’s surrounded by lush forest, and especially this time of year, it’s absolutely magical, covered in snow.” 

“I had no idea you had a cabin in the mountains, that sounds lovely.” Rey had turned to face her fully, giving her a 1,000 watt smile.

“Oh, it very much is. You and Ben should take a weekend and head up there before Christmas. Han and I always head up the weekend after Thanksgiving to decorate the place, so I’m sure you’d find it perfectly attired for this time of year.”

“Oh, that sounds amazing! Thank you so much for the offer. I will ask Ben what he thinks about that.” Rey gave the older woman a tight hug, which was interrupted by a shout from Ben calling them to the next aisle over.

They pulled apart and headed over to see the men standing in front of a decently sized gorgeous tree.

“What do you think?” Ben asked, turning to Rey.

“It’s perfect,” Rey said in awe.

“That there is a 6 ft Fraser Fir,” a new voice cut in to the little group gathered around the tree. Everyone looked over to see an older man who was very clearly trying for the best lumberjack impression he could manage with suspenders showing over his green plaid shirt, making his way towards them.There was no defining marker showing this man worked here, so they were left to assume. “This is known as the Cadillac of Christmas trees. It’s got excellent needle retention, and smells divine, it’s perfect for holding ornaments too, due to the spacing of the branches.”

All of this, Ben’s father had mentioned well before this guy headed over. He rolled his eyes and shared a look with his father. “Yeah, we’ll take it. Thanks.”

The man gave a wide crooked smile and moved to grab the tree to take it to the register that was set up by the gated entrance.

“You ladies want to go wait in the car while we get this all tied up to the roof?” Han asked while gently rubbing Leia’s back. 

“Sure, just make sure it’s secure this time,” Leia said jokingly, leading Rey away.

“Wait! This time? Was there a time the tree wasn’t secure?” Rey asked, concerned. “What happened?”

“Well, you see, this lovable idiot decided he didn’t need anyone's help tying down the tree one year,” Leia’s voice tailed off as they entered the car and the door closed behind them.

“Your mother is a nuisance, Ben,” Han said, hoping for some sympathy from his son.

“Hey, you’re the one who didn’t manage to tie the tree to the actual car.” Han huffed and shoved his son before grabbing the tree and wandering towards the car himself. Ben just smiled and watched him go.

~~~

Rey stayed at Ben’s again that night, in the morning they got up early and made breakfast together. They’d set up the tree in the corner the previous evening, with stacks of boxes full of decorations that Leia had brought over for them. The plan was to decorate as soon as breakfast was over. They sat and enjoyed their pancakes and eggs, while discussing the tactic they would take for decorating.

Once they’d eaten and put their dishes away, they headed to the living room to take a look at the decorations. Ben turned on a holiday playlist through his Bluetooth speaker and they got to work.

They started with wrapping the lights, each one standing on one side of the tree and handing the string of lights off after placing it properly on their side, this is where Ben’s large wing span came in handy. Once the lights were all strung up, they busted out the ornaments, he recognized most of them from his childhood and shared some stories with Rey as they hung each one amongst the branches. Once all of the ornaments were placed, it was just missing the star on top. 

Ben could easily reach up and put the star in place, but he wanted Rey to feel the joy of adding on that final touch. He handed her the star before wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up to reach the top. Rey gently grabbed some of the top most tines of the tree and worked the star onto them, making sure their bulk would hold it in place. Once finished, she advised Ben to move backwards so that could see how it looked. 

Verifying that everything looked perfect, he slowly lowered her to the ground. Their fronts sliding together as her feet reached the ground. They stood looking into each others eyes as their first Christmas tree shown beside them. Slowly their lips met in a long passionate kiss, before they separated and Rey burrowed her head under his chin, staring at their finished product. 

“We did good, love. Real good.” Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him in close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. I'd say we're about at the half way point. Thanks for sticking with me, if you like what you're reading drop me a line! Or come say hi over on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/roguecompanion1812). 
> 
> And thank you again to my amazing beta [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite)!


	5. Let Your Heart Be Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by making something with your own two hands for the ones you love? Rey and Ben get creative and cuddly with so much fluff it'll make you sick! Meanwhile, Leia is not on the same page as her son, but it's not her fault she knows where this is all going...

[](https://imgur.com/Yi2Y1Wg)

Sunday was spent doing some Christmas shopping, including trolling through the craft store for things to make Christmas ornaments and cards, as well as some other things. Ben laughed at Rey when she held up a kit full of cookie cutters from their favorite sci-fi movie. She threw the box full of little muppet shaped cookie cutters into the cart. 

“For when we make our Christmas cookies next weekend,” she winked at him and he laughed harder.

“Actually, about next weekend. How would you feel about going up to my parents’ cabin? I know my mom mentioned it to you the other day,” he attempted to look nonchalant as he asked her.

Rey looked at him shocked. “Well, I don’t see why not…” Her face softened as she thought about the two of them alone in a quaint little mountain cottage. “Yeah, I really like the sound of that.” 

~~~

Midway through the week, they got together again, this time for their arts and crafts date. Everything they’d purchased on Sunday was strewn across his kitchen table. They’d decided to make Christmas cards for his family members and a few of their work friends. Rey had decided to make some homemade gifts for her girl friends from work as well. 

They started with the cards, gluing snowmen and Christmas cut-outs to pieces of card stock. She would hand each card she made over to Ben where he would place a holiday greeting on the front in beautiful calligraphy. Then, together they would sign the inside. Each card was unique, adding that special touch of familiarity for each recipient. 

Once the last card was sealed in an envelope, Ben pulled out some plain colored glass ornaments and paints. They each laughed as they made a mess of the ornaments, realizing that painting on a rounded surface was much more difficult than a flat one. After several failed attempts, they decided to give up and move on. However, while cleaning up the ruined baubles, Rey noticed one untouched green bulb and an idea occurred to her.

“Ben, love, will you come here for a moment please?”

He turned from the kitchen sink, where he’d been rinsing off the paint brushes they’d used, and walked back to Rey’s side at the kitchen table. 

“I had a thought, maybe we can salvage at least one of these little guys,” Rey said thoughtfully, grabbing Ben’s hand and manipulating his fingers into a fist with his thumb sticking out.

“Oh? What are you thinking, dear one?” He asked, indulging her.

She dipped his thumb in some red paint, gently touching the wet surface of his finger to the bulb at an angle, not responding to his question at all. She then stuck her own thumb the red paint and placed her print adjacent to his, going the opposite angle. Then she turned it to show him, together their thumb prints had formed a pretty red heart on the surface, one side slightly bigger than the other.

“Now I’ll take a sharpy and place our names and the year on it, so we can always remember this Christmas. And remember to never try and paint ornaments again!” She said with a laugh, brushing some hair out of her face, unknowingly running her slightly still-paint-covered thumb across her cheek, leaving behind a line of red. He laughed at her, both for the comment and her slip with the paint.

“You are so smart my love. You are also, now covered in paint,” he pushed out through his laughter. “Maybe we should take a quick shower before trying to fix dinner.”

“Ok, let’s finish cleaning this mess up first, then we’ll come fix dinner and settle in for the night,” she said, already moving to continue putting away the paints and throwing scraps into the trash can. Ben retreated back to the sink to finish rinsing the brushes.

Once everything was put away, and Rey had convinced Ben to attempt to write their names on their one little ornament, leaving it on the table to dry once completed, they moved to the bathroom where a mostly quick shower occurred. They helped clean each other up with minimal shenanigans, hunger taking priority over hormones in this instance.

Together they made all of the fixings for beef tacos, moving together like a well-rehearsed dance, neither one ever getting in the way of the other. Soon enough, they were sitting down at the now clean kitchen table to enjoy their meal and each other.

“So, it’ll take us about 3 hours to get up to the family cabin without traffic,” Ben mentioned, wiping some mixture of sour cream and guacamole off his mouth with a napkin. “I’m thinking, we should take a half day on Friday, leave at noon and head up directly from work. It would allow us to miss all of the weekend traffic.”

Rey thought this over briefly, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to leave work early, we’ll need front desk coverage for those four and a half hours.” She looked a little disappointed that this may ruin his plans.

“I’ve actually thought of that already. Poe owes me a favor, he used to cover the front desk all the time before you were hired, so he knows what to do. Any of his own work that needs to be done he can do up there while he mans the desk. It’s not like there’s usually all that much excitement up there on Fridays anyways,” Ben looked very sure of all of this. “I’ll clear it with mom first, but I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.”

Rey’s face lit up, “Well, haven’t you just thought about everything? I’ll talk with Leia tomorrow as well to verify, and if this works out, I’ll make sure I’ll bring my packed bag with me to work.” She kissed his nose before rising and moving to wash her dinner plate. 

He moved from the table himself, placing his plate in the sink in front of her, before turning to put the leftover food into containers to store in the fridge. “How about some hot cocoa and cuddles on the couch? I can start reading you A Christmas Carol,” he suggested as he placed the last dish in the fridge, pulling out the milk and whipped cream before closing the door. 

“Sounds great, love,” she placed the last dish on the rack to dry and wiped her hands on the towel that was hung right above the sink. She moved into the other room, flicking on the gas fireplace and making sure the tree was plugged in, allighting the entire area in Christmas cheer.

He placed the two mugs of hot cocoa on the side table next to the couch, before browsing a nearby bookshelf for an old copy of the classic Dickens Christmas novel. Finally locating it, he turned back to her, waiting patiently on the couch, drink in hand and covered in a blanket. He sat down beside her, took a sip of his own drink and then opened the book. She snuggled into his side, feeling his deep baritone voice reverberate through her as he began, “Marley was dead: to begin with.”

~~~

First thing the next morning saw Ben knocking on the frame of his mother’s office door. She glanced up at the sound and waved him in, nodding and trying to end the phone call she’d been wrapping up as he approached. Ben stepped inside, closing the door behind him before moving to the seat in front of her desk. Leia placed the phone back in its cradle before straightening and turning her attention to him.

“Good Morning, Ben. What can I do for you?”

“Hey mom, how’s your week been?” Ben asked in a clear, although misguided, attempt at nonchalance. 

“I’ve been just fine, but that’s not why you’re here. So, what do you want?” She smiled at him cheekily, taking pleasure in his anxiety.

“Well, a couple things really,” he stated, his hands fidgeting in his lap as he tried to keep them from making the familiar trek through his hair, a nervous tick leftover from his teenage years. “For Christmas, I wanted to ask Rey something important, but I want to make sure I’m not moving too fast. I really don’t want to scare her off.”

Leia’s eyes got brighter with each word as they left his mouth, she began moving before she even spoke, “Oh, Ben! I knew it! I just knew it. Your father said I was crazy, but…” She had pulled her purse in front of her and rummaged through it. She pulled a small velvet bag from it and handed it over to him. “I went searching for this the other day because I had a feeling you were getting close.”

Ben weighed the bag in his hand for a moment, before taking a deep breath and reaching in to pull out a small jewelry box. He lifted the lid slowly and glanced at the contents, a dainty gold ring with a marquis cut black diamond in the center and a triangular shaped white diamond on either side. He recognized it as one of his grandmother’s. He gulped looking back up into his mother’s face. He didn’t want to disappoint her.

“Um, well, actually, I was going to ask if it’s too soon to move in,” he said after clearing his throat, deciding to just rip that bandage right off.

“Oh,” she looked a little deflated for a moment before perking back up, “Oh! That’s a fantastic idea, Ben! I’m sure she’d agree. She’s crazy about you.” 

He placed the ring box back in the velvet bag and began to hand it back to her.

“No, honey, you hold onto that. You never know when you might need it,” she pushed the bag back in his direction, winking. “How are you going to ask her?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I figured I’d just wrap a copy of the key and have her unwrap it after everything else. I’ll come up with some clever way.”

She nodded, pleased with his idea. “Well, you said you had a few things, what else did you need to ask me?”

He perked up, “Oh, right! So, Rey and I are heading up to the cabin this weekend. I wanted to leave early Friday afternoon so we could avoid traffic. Poe’s agreed to cover the front desk, but I told Rey I’d clear it all with you beforehand.”

Leia smiled, “Of course, that’s a good idea. The closer we get to the holiday, the more people will be travelling and getting out of work early.” 

“Great! I’ll go let Rey know. Thanks, Mom. For everything.”

She sniffed, turning back to her screen, “Yeah, whatever. Love you, kid.”

Ben huffed a laugh as he exited the room, stopping at Poe’s desk to let him know what he’d be doing Friday afternoon. Poe laughed at him, calling him out for the lack of request, but agreeing nonetheless. With that, Ben and Rey’s plans for a weekend at the cabin were good to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another HUGE thank you to the best beta ever, [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite)! She fixes all of my stupid mistakes, provides me with some of the best commentary, and makes me the best freaking mood boards, like this one!  
> [](https://imgur.com/bkJoZxf)


	6. Dashing Through the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey finish up some things at work before heading out for a weekend away. Things get funny as Rey severely underestimates just how extra these Organa-Solos can be.

[](https://imgur.com/zDLN2Dv)

Rey showed up to work on Friday packed and ready to go. She had no idea what to expect, but she was really looking forward to it. She still had much to do before she could leave. First thing was a meeting with Leia to finalize the Christmas party. She set down her belongings, locking her travel bag in the bottom drawer of the large reception desk, before heading to Leia’s office.

She knocked on the door, and entered when advised to. They got down to business right away, confirming the venue was booked, finalizing the menu, and approving the invite that would be emailed to each employee and hung around the office later that morning. 

Leia stopped Rey as she gathered up her things to go back to her desk and print off the invite. “Do you want to join me for the company wide meeting?”

Rey smiled and nodded, “Yeah, just let me put all this stuff on my desk and I’ll join you in the conference room.”

She hurried off to do as she stated, briefly checking that no one had approached the main office doors, which were locked, or left a voicemail before making her way to the large conference room down the hall from her desk. 

People had already begun to arrive, the early ones snagging the chairs surrounding the large wooden conference table, leaving any late stragglers to stand where they could find floor space around the room. Rey snuck in and moved to stand behind Leia, meeting eyes with her friends around the room, and finally landing on Ben where he stood nearby, close to the door. She smiled, throwing a wink his way, before turning her attention to Leia as she cleared her throat and began.

“Good Morning, everyone. We’re going to keep this meeting short and sweet. I just wanted to make a few announcements. First of all, we’ve put the finishing touches on the holiday party, and you will all be receiving an email from Rey here shortly after we conclude here with all of the details. It’ll be held next Friday evening, that’s December 21st, at (somewhere). Hopefully, you will all be able to attend. We wanted to pick a time that worked for anyone who might be heading out of town for the holiday. Secondly, with Christmas falling on a Tuesday, we’ve decided to extend the holiday for all employees. You will all be getting Monday off as well, with pay. Merry Christmas from management,” she paused allowing the room to shuffle with excitement at this news. “Finally, for anyone who signed up for the Secret Santa exchange this year, we’ve placed all of the names into a random generator and picked each person’s recipient. Since I am not participating, you will be receiving an email in the next hour from myself with the name of who you will be gifting to. The price limit for these gifts are $25, and the final opportunity to deliver your gifts will be at the Christmas party, although you can deliver before then as well. Any questions?” She took a moment to glance around the room. “Alright then, have a great day folks, and a safe and happy weekend.”

The room began to clear out, everyone talking amongst themselves, mostly excited about the news of the extra day off, but a few wondering about the party as well. Rey pat Leia on the back as she moved around her to return to her desk. 

“Great meeting Leia, I’ll get all the party info out right away.”

Ben had lingered just outside the door, grabbing her wrist as she walked out of the room and pulling her in for a brief kiss. Some giggles from a group of their co-workers down the hall had them stepping apart quickly.

“Good Morning to you too,” she laughed out a little breathlessly, a large smile on her face.

“You all ready for this afternoon?” He asked as he followed her up to her desk, trying to not to obviously oggle her as she bent down to unlock the front doors.

She glanced over her shoulder as she began to stand up straight, noticing his attention. “Why don’t you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” she threw at him with a smirk as she made her way to her chair and logged into her computer, taking pleasure in the way his face lit up, the bright pink even reaching the tips of his ears peeking out of his hair.

Clearing his throat, he composed himself, “Funny girl. Now answer my question, you good to go?”

“Yes, Dad, my bag is in the drawer, just gotta finish finalizing this Christmas party and a few of the regular tasks and I should be ready to go at noon, as discussed,” she rolled her eyes at his no-nonsense attitude.

He looked back at her, eyebrows raised, “I don’t know if I appreciate that attitude young lady.” He was very clearly trying to hold in a laugh as he said this.

“Oh, just get out of here so I can get my work done,” she shooed him away with her hands as she said this, causing him to release the laugh he’d been attempting to keep in check as he wandered back down the hall.

~~~

The morning passed quickly and before long Ben was following the familiar path back to Rey’s desk. As he approached, her back was to him and she was busy showing Poe something on the computer. Poe caught his eyes as he drew near and shot him a look of desperation. He caught on to what the problem was and immediately stepped in to assist. 

“Hey babe, ready to go?” He asked, pulling Rey’s attention to himself. 

“Just a second, I need to finish showing Poe how this new system works,” she glanced at him briefly before turning back to the computer. Poe, who had perked up upon his distraction deflated once again.

“Hun, we really need to get going, and I’m pretty sure Poe already knows how to do this. Even if he doesn’t, he’s just covering for a few hours. It’s not like you’re leaving your first born with him. It’s just work,” he attempted to reason with her, shooting Poe a head nod in understanding.

“UGH! Fine, if I come in Monday and everything is screwed up, you owe me lunch,” Rey relented, throwing up her hands and moving over to the drawer her bag was shoved into. 

The two men quietly high fived as her back was turned, Poe mouthing a ‘thank you’ to Ben. Rey straightened and faced them once more. “I may not have seen that, but I know what you just did. You are both on my naughty list,” she reprimanded. “Let’s go Ben, before I decide to smack this one on the back of the head for being cheeky.”

“Aw, but that’s why you love me, Rey,” Poe flashed a winning smile and a wink her way as she moved towards Ben’s side. 

Rolling her eyes as she linked her arm through Ben’s, she retorted, “Whatever, have a good weekend you jerk.”

Poe barked a laugh, and gave them both a genuine smile and a wave, “Have fun at the cabin guys! Be safe on those mountain roads.”

They both waved and bid him farewell before making their way to Ben’s car.

They decided to grab something from the Wendy’s drive-thru for lunch before hopping on the highway and beginning the long journey ahead of them. The first two hours or so went rather smoothly, the two singing along loudly with the Christmas radio station, something that surprised Ben greatly.

“How the heck do you know all of these?” he asked incredulously, turning down the music.

“I may not have ever celebrated before, but I don’t think there’s a single person in this country who can get out of hearing Christmas music everywhere they go from November to January,” she said with a laugh.

“Huh,” he glanced her way, “that’s a really good point. I never thought of that.” He shrugged and turned the music back up.

Unfortunately, as they began their ascent to the higher elevations, the roads began to get a bit dicey. Between the twisty, two-lane roads and the abrupt cliff-like drop off of land at one edge of said roads, they had to significantly slow down. And then the snow started to fall.

The boisterous sing along from before went quiet, the music turned down, and both faced forward to concentrate on the slow, but steady pace they were making. Even though they’d left rather early, it was already starting to get dark, and by Ben’s calculation, they still had a bit further to go. 

By about 6 o’clock, Ben turned onto a steep hill and slowed way down. He crawled slowly down it, creeping until he managed to see the turn off he needed. The pavement of the main road turning into a winding inclined dirt road covered in a fresh blanket of white powder. Rey’s eyes widened at the site before her. “Ben, love, where are we?”

He glanced at her shocked face and huffed out a laugh, “Welcome to the Organa-Solo Cabin!” He reached into the center console and pulled out a garage door opener, as they rounded the last corner of the hill and she noticed the large two car garage attached to what was obviously the ground floor of a massive multi-level house.

“I’m not sure if you’re aware of the definition of the word ‘cabin’, but this is not it.” She was flabbergasted, “I think this is bigger than most people’s houses!” This is not what she’d been expecting.

He smiled at her cheekily, “But look, it looks like it’s made out of giant Lincoln Logs! It’s totally a log cabin. Just a very large one.” He ignored her overly dramatic scoff and he pulled into the garage. Shutting off the car, he turned to her excitedly, “Let’s go! I can’t wait to show you around!” He hopped out of the car and moved around back to grab their bags from the trunk. Meanwhile, she took several moments to untangle herself from the seatbelt and exit the vehicle, all the while trying to make sense of what just happened.

She met Ben at the door leading into the house. He reached over her head and pushed the button to close the garage door, both watching as it descended, slowly blocking the gorgeous snow covered trees beyond from view. Once verifying the door had closed completely, he opened the door to the house, and groped blindly at the inside wall until his fingers snagged on the switch and the lights flickered on. They entered into a small finished basement area, most of the area was taken up by a utility closet/laundry room and a small bathroom. He led her through this area and up a narrow flight of stairs. He opened the door at the top and they exited into a huge open room, a large fireplace stood in the center of the wall next to them, a large 12 ft meticulously decorated Christmas tree beside it, against a wall of floor to ceiling windows. While across the room from them was a large staircase that led to what appeared to be a loft. The log-cut railing leading up and attached to the edge of the loft looking down over the main room was wrapped merrily in lighted garland, with bright red bows placed throughout at regular intervals. 

All of the decorations appeared to be on a timer, as everything was lit up as she observed the room. Ensuring the the vision that Rey walked into was nothing short of magical.

Ben turned Rey in the other direction, leading her into the large kitchen placed under the loft. He directed her to two doors in the back corner, opening the first door, he flicked on the light and placed their bags on top of the king sized bed that took up most of the room, with just a couple of rustic bedside tables and a matching dresser to fill out the rest.

“My dad actually came up here yesterday to make sure the fridge was stocked and the heat was on. It looks like he made the bed for us too,” Ben said, turning to look at her. “This is the master bedroom, if the whole family comes up, this is where my parents sleep.” He led her back out the door and through the one adjacent to it, “This is the main bathroom, pretty self-explanatory.”

He moved on, but Rey stayed gaping at the massive bathtub that could easily fit three grown adults, and the detached shower that could fit twice as many as that. “A cabin he calls it,” she huffed under her breath, “Cabin my arse!”

“Where’d you go babe?” Ben called out from back in the main room. Rey hurried to join him as he began to climb the stairs to the loft. “Not much up here, just more beds and another full bathroom, but I figured I’d show you anyway,” he said as they crested the top of the stairs. He wasn’t wrong, there were three queen sized beds on each side of the loft, with a bathroom in the middle separating the two sides. 

She turned to make a joke about all of the beds, but the scene outside the window across the main room from this high up caught her attention and she gasped at the beauty of it. From here, she could see the top of the next mountain over, all covered in evergreen trees and snow, the clouds which had been dropping snow as they’d driven up had cleared and there was a perfect view of the nearly full moon climbing over the mountains.

“Ben, this place is stunning. I just don’t know what to say!” Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to overflow as her chin shook a little with emotion. 

Ben approached her side, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the side of her head. “I’m so glad you agreed to come with me. I spent so much time here as a child, I never imagined a day would come when I would bring someone so important to me along to enjoy this beautiful place.”

They stood together like that for several moments, him holding her, both of them pretending not to notice that the tears had spilled over her lower eyelids and tracked down her cheeks, just watching the moonrise. 

It was the grumbling of her stomach that eventually spurred them into movement. Both of them laughing at the disruption as they moved back downstairs and into the kitchen. Ben rifled through the fridge to see what his father had left them, “Looks like we have chili, some beef stew, hot dogs and mac and cheese, or just sandwich fixings. That is, unless you want breakfast for dinner?” He turned her way to see if anything had piqued her interest.

“Lets go simple and heat up that chili. That should be quick right?” She asked, leaning against the center island next to him.

“Sure thing,” he said as he pulled out the chili, sour cream and cheese.

Before long, the two of them were sat on the couch, an average sized TV she had apparently missed on her initial perusal of the space turned on in front of them. There apparently wasn’t cell service up here, but the Organa-Solo family had made sure that every other luxury was available, ensuring there was a landline, internet and satellite television for one to enjoy. They sat cuddled together eating their bowls of chili while watching reruns of Parks and Rec. 

Movement outside the window caught Rey’s attention, and she turned to see large fluffy flakes of snow falling again. She snuggled deeper into Ben’s side, and stared out at the falling snow. She was excited for everything he had planned this weekend, but for now, she was content to just relax at his side.

[](https://imgur.com/pUCm1Dj)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for sticking with this fic, even though we've now passed Valentine's Day and I'm still writing about Christmas. We're about two or three chapters out not. I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Another great big thank you to my amazing beta [Azuwrite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azuwrite/pseuds/Azuwrite) who also made the gorgeous mood board above.


End file.
